Cousins eyes comeback from injury

QPR midfielder Jordan Cousins is eyeing a return to first team action this weekend against Reading – insisting he ‘can’t wait to get going again’ following a recent spell on the sidelines.

Cousins, who has made 11 appearances since his summer switch from Charlton Athletic, sustained a minor hamstring injury in mid-September.

However, a well-timed international break looks like seeing the 22-year-old miss only two fixtures in a three-week lay-off, much to his delight.

"I feel good,” he told www.qpr.co.uk. "I've recovered well and the international break came at the right time for me.

"It gave me an extra two weeks to get myself towards where I want to be and hopefully I can be involved in Saturday's game.

"I'm working hard, day after day, to get myself back in the starting line-up. That's the aim – and I can’t wait to get going again.”

Rangers head into Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship clash against the Royals buoyed by a dramatic derby day victory versus Fulham two weeks ago, and whilst Cousins missed that fixture, he believes the timing of that win was ‘perfect’ for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s side.

"The Fulham win was perfectly-timed heading into the break,” he said.

"The manner in which we won the game, with the drama of a late winner and Fulham's missed penalty in stoppage-time, gave us all a massive lift.

"Hopefully we can take that into the Reading game this weekend now.”

He added: "Reading have made a positive start to the season.

"They're where they are on merit, but we'll be focusing about what we can do to affect the game on Saturday.

"We want to get a positive result, and that's what we'll be trying to do this weekend.”

Cousins was speaking during a visit to Mitchell Brook Primary School in Brent earlier this week, where he joined QPR in the Community Trust as part of ‘Trust Tuesdays’ for a kick-about with students and a Q&A about his career with Rangers and in football so far.

Now, however, he’s fully focused on the double-header at Loftus Road this week, with Bristol City following hot on the heels of Reading’s visit to W12 on Tuesday evening.

"Back-to-back home games present us with a chance to build on the win against Fulham and the two previous draws,” he said.

"Everyone knows there are no easy games in the Championship, as is proved week after week, but if you can put a run together, suddenly you can find yourselves climbing right up the table.

"That's certainly our aim over the next few games.”

I'm working hard, day after day, to get myself back in the starting line-up.